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Central Notes: Beauchamp, Jackson, Haliburton, Thompson, Ivey

November 13th, 2023 at 8:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

With Jae Crowder out approximately eight weeks due to an adductor and abdominal tear, Bucks coach Adrian Griffin confirmed that MarJon Beauchamp and rookie Andre Jackson Jr. would have expanded roles, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

“I just think, starting with MarJon, he’s done a terrific job on both sides of the ball. Really pleased,” Griffin said. “I’m a defense-first coach, so I just like his athleticism, his length. … He can guard multiple positions. And then offensively, he’s more athletic than what people may think. He’s a strong player. He can get to the rim and finish above the rim and then he’s a capable 3-point shooter.”

“And then I love what I see out of ‘Dre. I think the most important thing with ‘Dre is his competitive spirit,” Griffin added. “He gets out there and he flies around. He’s gonna make some rookie mistakes. Last game, he stepped out of bounds and stuff like that … So, there’s going to be a learning curve with him, but I feel good with him on the floor.”

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Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton says he has no qualms about lobbying free agents to join him in Indiana, he told Rob Mahoney of The Ringer. “I play a style of basketball that people want to play,” said Haliburton, who signed a max five-year extension over the summer. “I think that’s part of the reason why they signed me to the deal they signed me to. I’ve got long-term stability here because they know that I can help bring people here—not only with who I am as a basketball player, but who I am as a person.”
Pistons general manager Troy Weaver and coach Monty Williams have discussed using rookie Ausar Thompson in more pick-and-rolls but don’t want to overload him with too many responsibilities at this stage, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. Thompson is regularly assigned the opposition’s top scorer and is also relied upon for his rebounding skills. “I told him I trust him because of the work he puts in,” Williams said. “He doesn’t run from any situation. Sometimes I get too far ahead when I put too much on his plate, so expanding him right now is not at the forefront because he does have a lot on his plate.”
Pistons guard Jaden Ivey missed four games due to an illness and there were some whispers on social media that Ivey’s absence had more to do with him losing his starting job. Ivey refuted that notion after returning to action against Chicago on Sunday, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press relays. “I thank the trainers for helping me get back, because I was really, really struggling,” Ivey said of the viral infection. “I could barely even watch TV. I had some symptoms going that were crazy, some symptoms that I’d never really experienced before ever. I’m back on my feet now.”

Kings’ De’Aaron Fox Cleared To Return

November 13th, 2023 at 7:40pm CST by Rory Maher

7:40pm: Fox will play on Monday night vs. Cleveland, per Charania and Amick (Twitter link). He won’t be on a minutes restriction, head coach Mike Brown told reporters, including James Ham of The Kings Beat (Twitter link).

1:54pm: Kings star De’Aaron Fox could return to action as soon as Monday’s contest vs. Cleveland or Wednesday’s game against the Lakers, sources tell Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Fox, who has missed the past five games due to a right ankle sprain, was a full participant during Monday’s shootaround, tweets Sean Cunningham of Fox 40.

The 25-year-old is coming off a stellar 2022/23 campaign in which he earned his first All-Star and All-NBA appearances. Sacramento broke its record-long playoff drought last season, finishing 48-34 and entering the postseason as the West’s No. 3 seed. The team ultimately lost its first-round series against Golden State in seven games.

Fox was off to an outstanding start in ’23/24, averaging 31.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 6.0 APG and 1.3 SPG on .486/.375/.810 shooting through three games (35.3 MPG). The Kings went 2-1 with him in the starting lineup and currently hold a 4-4 record.

Warriors Notes: Curry, Wiggins, Thompson, Santos

November 13th, 2023 at 7:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

While Stephen Curry has produced like a Most Valuable Player, his teammates haven’t been contributing at their usual levels, ESPN’s Kendra Andrews notes. Curry has delivered six 30-point games, but the Warriors have gotten just one 20-point performance from anyone else.

“No question, we need some scoring and some play-making elsewhere,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

Golden State has lost three straight and Curry expects some tweaks to be made.

“Everything is on the table for us for adjustments,” Curry said. “When you’ve lost three straight, you have to make adjustments.”

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Andrew Wiggins is one of those players who is looking to regain his offensive rhythm. Wiggins had just six points in 25 minutes against Minnesota and hasn’t scored more than 17 in any contest this season. He hasn’t been part of the closing unit, either. “It’s tough,” Wiggins told Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. “I’ve just got to do what I can to give them a reason to keep me in. Whether it’s crashing the glass harder, defensively picking up. … If your shot is off, you’ve got to do other stuff to stay on the floor. Or someone else will come in.”
Along the same lines, Klay Thompson is searching for answers to his shooting slump, as Anthony Slater of The Athletic details. Thompson, who is headed to free agency unless he signs an extension, is averaging 16.1 points per game — his lowest output since his rookie year. He’s shooting a career low 34.7% on 3-point attempts. Thompson says there’s nothing wrong with him physically and he hasn’t lost any confidence. “If history shows us anything, it’s most definitely coming. What’s the point of panicking and pressing? I’ve been through this more than a decade,” he said. “It’s hard. Basketball is hard. I’m not going to lose faith or confidence. One thing I’ve proved is the resiliency within me. I’ll come back and have a great month.”
The Warriors had financial motives to add 2022 second-round pick Gui Santos on a three-year contract, as John Hollinger of The Athletic explains. Santos is considered a “draft rookie” and thus his minimum salary for luxury-tax purposes is just $1.03MM instead the $2.02MM for a veteran on a minimum contract. Factoring in the luxury and repeater taxes, the Warriors would have been out another $8MM if they had used the 14th roster spot on a veteran. Due to the non-guaranteed status of Santos’ contract, the Warriors could waive Santos just before the Jan. 10 guarantee date, go two weeks with a 13-player roster and then add another player prior to the trade deadline.

Southeast Notes: Coulibaly, Bridges, Robinson, Young

November 13th, 2023 at 6:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The rebuilding Wizards are off to a 2-7 start, but rookie Bilal Coulibaly continues to impress. The No. 7 pick of the draft, Coulibaly scored a team-high 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds in a loss to Brooklyn on Saturday. He also knocked down a season-high four 3-pointers.

“He was really good,” Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. “He looks really calm out there, very confident. He’s aggressive. He’s got a pretty good read on when and how. He looks comfortable behind the three-point line, which is I think a bright spot. I just think [he needs to] continue to build.”

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Miles Bridges‘ court hearing scheduled for Monday in Charlotte was continued to a later date — Feb. 20, 2024, ESPN’s Baxter Holmes tweets. Bridges was scheduled to answer a summons tied to a violation of a protective order from January. The Hornets forward’s 10-game league suspension to start the season will end this week and he’s expected to play a significant role once he’s eligible, beginning on Friday against Milwaukee.
With guards Tyler Herro (sprained ankle) and Kyle Lowry (rest) sitting out, the Heat got a major contribution from Duncan Robinson on Sunday. He finished with a season-high 26 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, along with five rebounds and four assists in a win over San Antonio. Robinson has expanded his offensive game, making half of his eight buckets inside the arc, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald notes. “Duncan was so good (Sunday) at all levels, his ability to put the ball on the floor, his play-making, off-the-movement stuff,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And then not letting people forget what he’s here for, also, which is beyond the threes-point line, but it’s not based just off of that. And it just shows you how much his game has grown.”
The Hawks might play their in-season tournament opener in Detroit on Tuesday without their top player. Trae Young is listed as questionable for personal reasons, Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. His wife just gave birth, Williams notes (via Twitter).

Robert Williams Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery

November 13th, 2023 at 6:05pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 13: Williams underwent right knee surgery on Monday to reconstruct a torn ligament after he sustained a patellar dislocation., the team tweets. Williams is expected to make a full recovery for the 2024/25 season.

NOVEMBER 10: Trail Blazers big man Robert Williams will have to undergo season-ending right knee surgery, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. He’s expected to go under the knife early next week and to be fully recovered for the 2024/25 season, Woj adds.

Wojnarowski previously reported that Williams would require surgery, but said on Monday that the center’s camp and medical professionals were still discussing what type of procedure would be necessary.

The Athletic reported on Monday that one option would be a cleanup procedure with a two- or three-month recovery timeline, while the other option would be a season-ending procedure that would repair bone and ligament damage in Williams’ right kneecap.

It appears Williams will take the latter route.

It’s a devastating blow to a promising young player who has already been significantly impacted by health problems since entering the NBA as the 27th overall pick in 2018.

Entering this season, the 26-year-old had been limited to 209 of 390 possible regular season games in his first five years in the NBA as a Celtic. He’ll appear in just six of 82 in his first year in Portland.

In his healthiest season, 2021/22, Williams nearly averaged a double-double (10.0 PPG, 9.6 RPG) to go along with 2.2 blocks per night and a 73.6% field goal percentage.

Williams was part of the package that Portland received from Boston this fall in exchange for Jrue Holiday. According to Wojnarowski, there were some teams around the NBA hoping that the Blazers would put Williams back on the trade block prior to the 2024 trade deadline — an in-season move seems extremely unlikely now.

The Trail Blazers have one open spot on their standard 15-man roster that could be used to add more frontcourt depth. They have about $5.3MM in breathing room below the luxury tax line, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), so they could comfortably sign a free agent to a minimum-salary deal without becoming a taxpayer.

As Marks observes, Portland could also apply for a disabled player exception, which wouldn’t give the team another roster spot but could provide another cap exception to make a trade, signing, or waiver claim later in the season. If granted by the NBA, that exception would be worth $5,785,715, half of Williams’ salary.

Bucks’ Jae Crowder To Undergo Surgery, Out Eight Weeks

November 13th, 2023 at 5:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bucks veteran forward Jae Crowder has a left adductor and abdominal tear and will undergo surgery on Tuesday, according to a team press release relayed by Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link). He’s expected to be sidelined for approximately eight weeks.

Crowder was originally diagnosed with a left groin injury on Saturday during Milwaukee’s game against Orlando. Further testing and evaluation determined the extent of the injury.

Crowder has appeared in all nine of Milwaukee’s games, including two starts, and is averaging 8.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 26.7 minutes per game.

It’s a tough blow for the Bucks, whose depth was depleted by the blockbuster Damian Lillard trade. Crowder’s minutes will likely by absorbed by some combination of Pat Connaughton, MarJon Beauchamp and rookie Andre Jackson Jr.

Crowder re-signed with Milwaukee on a one-year deal in July. Milwaukee shipped out five second-round draft picks to acquire him in a three-team exchange with the Suns and Nets last February.

Injury Notes: Vanderbilt, Beal, Magic, Nets

November 13th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Rory Maher

Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt has been cleared by team doctors to begin a return to play progression, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Vanderbilt, 24, has yet to make his 2023/24 regular season debut, missing all 10 of the Lakers’ games due to left heel bursitis. Since he’s been sidelined for several weeks and has been dealing with a foot injury, it might take him some time to ramp up his conditioning.

Still, it’s obviously a positive update for both Vanderbilt and the team. The Lakers’ defense is currently ranked 22nd in the league, and having one of their top defenders nearing a return should help with that figure.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

Suns guard Bradley Beal missed Phoenix’s first seven games with a lower back injury, which he tweaked during Sunday’s loss to Oklahoma City, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Beal said his back was “a little tight” throughout the game and he needs to be “smart moving forward” after choosing to play the second half despite being less than 100 percent. “We’ve been trending in the right direction,” Beal said. “This is probably the first day we’ve had, I don’t want to say a setback, but where it’s gotten tight throughout the course of a game. It’s just evaluating that seeing how; recovery is always the biggest question. How I feel afterward. See how I feel (Sunday night), in the morning and hopefully I don’t feel like I got hit by a bus and I’ll be good to go come Wednesday.”
Magic guards Gary Harris and Markelle Fultz will be sidelined Tuesday in Brooklyn, but they’re traveling with the team on Orlando’s four-game road trip, according to Dan Savage of OrlandoMagic.com (Twitter link). It will be the fifth straight absence for Harris, who is battling a right groin strain, while Fultz is dealing with left knee soreness.
Nets center Nic Claxton had a strong performance in Sunday’s victory over Washington, notes Dan Martin of The New York Post. Claxton, who had missed the past eight games with a high left ankle sprain, finished with 10 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in 28 minutes.
Unfortunately, Lonnie Walker aggravated a left knee injury on Sunday, Martin adds, but the Nets guard sounds determined to play through it. “I’ll be ready for the next game,” said Walker. “If my leg’s not broken, I’m gonna keep playing. We’ll see how it goes [Monday]. … It’s a lot of pain. I’ve been playing through it.” Walker is officially questionable for Tuesday’s game with a left knee contusion, while Ben Simmons will miss his fourth straight game with a left hip contusion, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link).

Anthony Edwards, Joel Embiid Named Players Of The Week

November 13th, 2023 at 2:37pm CST by Rory Maher

Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (Western Conference) and Sixers center Joel Embiid (East) have been named the NBA’s players of the week, the league announced (via Twitter).

It’s the first player of the week award for Edwards, according to a Wolves press release. He helped lead Minnesota to a 4-0 record after averaging 31.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 2.0 steals (36.5 minutes). The Wolves are currently 7-2, a half-game out of first place in the West.

Embiid, who helped lead Philadelphia to its own undefeated week at 4-0, averaged 36.3 points, 12.5 boards, 5.0 assists and 2.0 blocks in his four appearances (34.2 minutes). The 76ers have the best record in the NBA at 8-1 and have now had the East’s player of the week twice in the season’s first 21 days — Tyrese Maxey won the award in week one.

According to the NBA (Twitter links), the other nominees in the West were Anthony Davis, Cam Reddish, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jerami Grant, Nikola Jokic and Alperen Sengun, while Bam Adebayo, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner, Caris LeVert, Mark Williams, and Maxey were nominated in the East.

Bulls Notes: Dosunmu, Caruso, Lillard, Craig, Trade Values

November 13th, 2023 at 1:33pm CST by Rory Maher

Third-year guard Ayo Dosunmu gave the Bulls a much-needed lift during Sunday’s victory over Detroit, according to Kyle Williams of The Chicago Sun-Times. After a sluggish first quarter that saw the Bulls down nine points, Dosunmu helped swing the momentum in their favor in the second period, spearheading a 22-4 run with his energy and defense.

“First thing I told him coming out was, ‘That quarter was because of you,’” forward DeMar DeRozan said. “The energy he brought, getting out in transition, the layups and getting those steals. I let him know that without him, that quarter would not have happened.”

Dosunmu finished with 13 points (on 6-of-7 shooting), three assists and three steals and was a game-high plus-19 in 27 minutes on the court, which was a season high. As Williams writes, Dosunmu also helped limit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham — Detroit’s leading scorer — to just 10 points on 4-of-15 shooting.

“I closed with [Dosunmu] today,” head coach Billy Donovan said. “You could have closed with Torrey [Craig]; you could have closed with Patrick [Williams]. I just elected to go with him because I thought he was playing really well on both ends of the floor. He was playing well defensively, in particular guarding Cunningham.”

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Alex Caruso, who missed Sunday’s game, is considered day-to-day due to a toe injury he sustained in practice, Williams adds in another story. As K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago tweets, Caruso is doubtful for Monday’s contest vs. Milwaukee, while Bucks star Damian Lillard, who has missed the past two games with calf soreness, is probable.
Pistons head coach Monty Williams spoke glowingly of Craig prior to Sunday’s matchup, Kyle Williams of The Sun-Times notes. Craig, who signed with Chicago as a free agent in the offseason, played under Monty Williams in Phoenix. “He’s just an everyday guy and has a great attitude,” he said of Craig. “You could coach him; you could talk to him about other stuff outside of basketball. He just became one of my favorite players. You can play him at any wing spot, and you can play a number of defenses with him, whether it’s switching, zone or man coverage.”
After 10 games, the Bulls sit at 4-6. That prompted Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic to list 10 observations from the early portion of the 2023/24 season. After the team brought back most of the same group, many of the same issues from last season are still present, according to Mayberry, including a sluggish offense and the poor fit of Chicago’s “big three.” Jevon Carter, who signed with his hometown team as a free agent over the summer, has been a bright spot. But the Bulls need to shake things up and trades should be coming at some point, says Mayberry.
Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype projects the trade values of DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, Patrick Williams and Caruso, writing that Caruso might fetch the most in return due to his “elite defense” and “relatively small annual salary.” Caruso is under contract for $19.4MM over the next two seasons.

Lakers Notes: Davis, Wood, Hayes, LeBron, Reddish, Reaves, Russell

November 13th, 2023 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Anthony Davis‘ desire to spend less time at center was behind the Lakers‘ decision to add Christian Wood and Jaxson Hayes, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Davis has long preferred to play power forward, which enables him to take advantage of his mobility and requires less battling for position against other big men. He expressed that to the Lakers’ front office this summer, and they responded by signing Hayes in July and Wood in September.

It’s an arrangement with the potential to work out well for everyone involved, McMenamin notes. Even though Davis has started at center in every game he has played, he’s playing there less often as he and Wood have been finishing games together. Hayes and Wood each signed two-year deals with a player option, so they have a chance to raise their values and return to free agency in 2024.

Second-year coach Darvin Ham has adjusted to the new roster, and he understands management’s desire to keep one of its stars happy.

“I don’t get caught up in it,” Ham said about Davis’ dealings with the front office. “I know what he means about wanting to have his skill set be diversified on the floor. I get that part, and we are on the same page.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

A left calf contusion caused LeBron James to miss his first game of the season Sunday night, per Buster Holmes of ESPN. James was originally listed as questionable before being downgraded later in the day. “He has some issues with that shin that (got) kneed in the last game, so, (we’re) just being proactive,” Ham explained. “No reason to run him in the ground this early. But it’s an opportunity where he can get some treatment (and) not force it.”
Cam Reddish is getting the biggest opportunity of his NBA career after replacing Austin Reaves in the Lakers’ starting lineup, notes Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times. Reddish admits his confidence was waning after frustrating experiences with the Hawks, Knicks and Trail Blazers, but his Lakers teammates have been working to prop him up as he takes on an important role. “We know the type of talent he is,” Davis said. “He can be a big-time player for us and he has shown that, what we want from him, in the past couple of games.”
Jovan Buha of The Athletic wonders why Ham decided to remove Reaves from the starting lineup rather than D’Angelo Russell. The former starting backcourt was a bad fit together, but Buha points out that Reaves is one of only three Lakers with a contract that extends past three seasons.